Monday musings on Australian literature: Australian Women Writers’ Challenge 2015

For the fourth year now, I'm devoting the year's last Monday Musings to the Australian Women Writers Challenge*. The challenge continues to be supported by a wide range of reviewers. This year we moved to a self-hosted site which enabled us to produce a single searchable database of all reviews logged since the challenge started in 2012. We now … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Australian Women Writers’ Challenge 2015

Australian Women Writers 2015 Challenge completed

As most of you have heard now ad infinitum, I only do one challenge - the Australian Women Writer's Challenge. As in previous years, I signed up for the top level, Franklin-fantastic, which required me to read 10 books and review at least 6. I have now exceeded this. Although I plan to continue to add to the challenge, … Continue reading Australian Women Writers 2015 Challenge completed

Blogging highlights for 2014

Top posts for 2014 According to my tags and categories, my most popular posts according to WordPress still relate to Australian literature, Women writers, Australian writers, 21st century literature and Review-Novels. However, as in 2013, my most "hit" post* for 2014 was a short story by an English woman, Virginia Woolf's "The mark on the wall" (reviewed in March … Continue reading Blogging highlights for 2014

Monday musings on Australian literature: Australian Women Writers’ Challenge 2014

As I've done over the last two years, I'm devoting my last Monday Musings for the year to the Australian Women Writers Challenge. This challenge, which most of you probably know by now, was instigated by Elizabeth Lhuede in response to concerns in Australian literary circles about the lack of recognition for women writers. I am one … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Australian Women Writers’ Challenge 2014

Australian Women Writers 2014 Challenge completed

Regular readers here know by now that I only do one challenge, and that's the Australian Women Writer's Challenge. As in previous years, I signed up for the top level: Franklin-fantastic. This required me to read 10 books and review at least 6. I have now exceeded this. I will continue to add to the challenge, as … Continue reading Australian Women Writers 2014 Challenge completed

Monday musings on Australian literature: Australian Women Writers’ Challenge 2013

As last year, I'm devoting my last Monday Musings for 2013 to the Australian Women Writers Challenge. This challenge, instigated by Elizabeth Lhuede in response to growing concern in Australian literary circles about lack of recognition for women writers, was so successful in 2012 that Elizabeth, with the help of a team of volunteers, decided to continue … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Australian Women Writers’ Challenge 2013

Gabrielle Gouch, Once, only the swallows were free (Review)

Do you differentiate memoir from autobiography? I do. For me, a memoir, such as Gabrielle Gouch's Once, only the swallows were free, deals with a specific aspect of a person's life, such as a sportsman writing about his career when he retires from it or a person writing about her growing up, like, say, Alice … Continue reading Gabrielle Gouch, Once, only the swallows were free (Review)

Australian Women Writers 2013 Challenge completed – and Miles Franklin Award Winner 2013

As regular readers here know by now, last year I broke my non-challenge rule to take part in the Australian Women Writer's Challenge. It was so satisfying, I decided to do it again this year. After all, it's really the challenge I'd do when I'm not doing a challenge. Like last year, I signed up … Continue reading Australian Women Writers 2013 Challenge completed – and Miles Franklin Award Winner 2013